Noma, "world's best restaurant", sorry as diners ill

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish restaurant Noma, crowned the world's best restaurant three years running in one poll, on Friday apologized after 63 guests fell ill with sickness and diarrhea after visiting the haute cuisine establishment.

According to the Danish health authorities, the guests fell ill during a five-day period in February and the outbreak could have come from a sick kitchen staff employee.

Health inspectors criticized the restaurant for not alerting authorities soon enough and for not taking proper action after the employee was struck ill upon returning home after work.

The two-Michelin-star restaurant recognized in a report that internal procedures had not been good enough and said an e-mail from the employee reporting his sickness had not been seen.

"We are in the business of making people happy and taking care of our guests, so this is the worst thing that could happen to us," Noma managing director Peter Kreiner told Reuters.

"Since the outbreak we have worked closely with the health authorities to get to the bottom of it and find the source of infection.

"We are extremely sorry about all of this and I have personally been in dialogue with all the guests who were affected and discussed compensation for them," he said, adding there was never any danger of the restaurant being closed down.

Food poisoning can have a major impact on top-end restaurants.
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